Dota Soulmate AU
by sasyst
Summary: Dota Fanfiction: Kael'thas the Invoker had heard about someone called the Anti-Mage roaming the world, searching for mages and killing every one he could find. Since Kael was the oldest and strongest of all mages, he totally intended to find out more about this creature. With a sigh, he adjusted the sleeves of the shirt, making sure to hide the name on his wrist.


The cover image is from sxpaiscia . tumblr . com, she drew it after reading the story.

by Aditu

Kael'thas the Invoker had heard about someone called the Anti-Mage roaming the world, searching for mages and killing every one he could find. He was obviously very skilled at it because the magic users in the world grew wearier and wearier of this human.

Since Kael was the oldest and strongest of all mages, he totally intended to find out more about this creature. And what better way to do so than to pretend to be a simple elf without any magical abilities and befriend the human? Of course he could just go and kill him but aside from the fact that it would be boring and there was enough boring stuff in his life already, the Invoker never underestimated an enemy. The reason why he was still alive. He knew his powers but he also knew that he was not unkillable. So he had to find out more about the Anti-Mage before he attacked him. Just to be safe.

He mulled over this course of action for a few days but then decided it could work. He donned simple clothes, feeling way too naked without his usual robes but not able to change this fact. He'd get used to shirt and pants. Standing in front of a mirror, he sneered at his own image. He looked like a peasant. Disgusting.

With a sigh, he adjusted the sleeves of the shirt, making sure to hide the name on his wrist. It was relatively new, only a few decades old. It had appeared one day, the name of his soulmate. After such a long time without having one, the mighty Invoker had actually smiled as he had stroked over the black letters with his thumb. A soulmate. Finally. Someone to spend eternity with.

He had begun searching almost immediately, though he hadn't expected to find the creature with the name right away. They had probably just been born when the name had appeared on his wrist. But it had been long enough now and he had still found nothing. No one. Not even a hint.

Which wasn't that unusual, since many creatures hid their names. Kael not exactly hid his but he was so old he was sure not many still knew it. He was known as the Invoker. Which was enough.

In any case, he didn't want anyone to see his wrist. He didn't want others to know he had a soulmate now. He had many foes that'd gladly go for his mate just to hurt him through it. Not acceptable.

With his clothing fitting for his purpose, he now had to adapt the rest of his appearance. First, his hair. It was too long and too shiny for a peasant. Then his jewellery. Off with everything that twinkled or shone. His eyes. Well, he couldn't do anything about them.

The last thing that had to go where his magical spheres. They always danced around his body and they just screamed 'mage'. They were the means to faster casting, elemental affinities that allowed him to use spells with an ease that would be missing otherwise (of course he was still able to use magic without them).

One last glance at his reflection. This would pass.

* * *

It was awfully easy to find the Anti-Mage. The human asked too many questions about mages and was too peculiar to go unnoticed. Even among all these strange creatures around the world.

Kael had thought about what he wanted to say, how he wanted to approach the human. He had tracked him down to a shady bar in some small town. Even outside of the building he could smell the cheap drinks and the dirty creatures inside. It was absolutely loathsome. For a moment he debated about going back home and just leaving the Anti-Mage to do whatever he did. But though he was forever self-centred and arrogant and didn't care for others at all, he didn't want some human to walk around and kill all mages.

Since he was the strongest, he could as well figure the Anti-Mage out, find out why he did it and then eliminate him. And besides, life grew boring over time. This was something new, something that might be disgusting but that could excite him, at least for a while.

The Invoker entered the building, appearing to be a normal elf. He would've said 'like everyone else in the bar' but he was way too clean for that. The smell was much stronger now and the noise level was almost painful. Someone bumped into the mage, leaving the first smear of dirt on his shirt. Kael bared his teeth shortly but repressed all his other responses. Like hexing the creature, or right out killing it.

Instead he let his gaze wander through the crowded room. Would he be able to recognize the Anti-Mage without having to ask someone? How did an Anti-Mage look like?

But oh, it was easy. There weren't many humans to begin with and there was only one coming into consideration. He was sitting alone, at the bar, clearly not interacting with anyone. He had his back to Kael but even then the mage could see that the human was rather young. And astonishingly clean. His clothes were neat and they fit his frame properly. He had two expensive looking blades by his sides, one actually in hand and the other near enough to be able to grab it immediately. The human absolutely didn't fit in here.

He watched the Anti-Mage for a few moments, wanting to get a feeling for how he moved. He was well muscled and with these weapons he could actually be a threat. If he knew how to use both, body and blades. Considering he had already killed lots of mages, Kael had to be careful. Not because he actually thought the boy could kill him, he was the Invoker after all. But he hadn't lived this long because he was reckless.

The Anti-Mage must've felt that he was being watched because he slowly, without drawing attention, reached for his second blade. He turned his head to the side, not looking directly at what was behind him but scanning it from the corner of his eyes.

If not now, then never. It would be too suspicious to keep standing near the doorway any longer. Kael's steps were purposeful as he strode forward. Someone stepped into his way, someone big, and he lost sight of the Anti-Mage for a moment. When he could see the spot the human had been sitting on again, he was gone.

With a frown, Kael kept slowly walking forward while scanning his surroundings. The human couldn't have vanished. He had to still be here.

And he was right. The Invoker felt someone behind his back and tensed. He could've moved, would've been fast enough, even without his orbs, to cast a spell, but since he had a goal here and he knew that it was the Anti-Mage and not one of the other creatures, he didn't react.

"Looking for someone?" A breath whispered over the tip of Kael's ear and he couldn't completely supress a tiny shiver racing down his spine in answer. His ears were sensitive. Then he felt a blade pressing against his side, low-key enough that probably no one saw it. Not that anyone would've cared anyway, in this place.

This was still no problem, the Invoker fully able to get out of this situation, should he need to. The Anti-Mage was simply reacting to the fact he had felt watched and he was intelligent enough not to sit around and wait for whoever was keeping an eye on him to make the first step. No, he went into the offensive.

"Not initially, but you are rather out of place here. I was wondering who you might be and what you were doing alone in this …" Kael waved his hand to indicate the bar. "You caught my eye."

For a moment, the Anti-Mage didn't react. Maybe he was debating if he should believe the elf's words or not. Then the pressure on Kael's side lessened and he felt the human bringing distance between them. "That's none of your business. I don't want to talk with anyone."

Slowly, Kael'thas turned around. His breath caught in his throat a little when he looked at the Anti-Mage from this close.

The human _was_ young, a boy, maybe about twenty years old. He had a stubborn set to his jaw, a frown between his brows and a fierceness to his features that was astounding for his age. It didn't deter from the fact he was young, it just made Kael wonder what the boy had experienced to appear like that. He couldn't have had a nice childhood.

Maybe some of this fierce appearance came from the purple tattoos, or markings, that covered some of his face, but the Invoker didn't think so. Some were also visible on his head, which he had shorn, except for a mohawk. The only not covered skin on the Anti-Mages's body, his arms, didn't have any markings but the Invoker wondered if there might be more hidden underneath the clothes.

Then, all in all, the human was extremely good-looking. His features were symmetrical, calling to the Invoker's sense for perfection. His skin was flawless, regardless of how many mages he had fought and killed. Had they all combined left not one single scar on the human's body? Was he some kind of mage, too, who was able to create a glamour?

Ignoring the human's comment about not wanting to talk, Kael held his hand out in greeting. He knew that the Anti-Mage couldn't (wouldn't) take it, he had his hands full with weapons after all, but didn't care. "Hello. I'm Carl. Nice to meet you." He had decided to pick a name similar to his but not quite the same. Never use a disguise so complicated you forget something about it.

The Anti-Mage's frown deepened as he stared first at the Invoker, then at his hand, then back at the elf. "Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"I did. We don't have to talk. I promise I won't ask any questions which answers are none of my business. Come, I'll pay for your next drink." He could see how the Anti-Mage debated with himself. He probably stayed away from others, lived isolated from everyone. Kael wasn't sure the human could be this easily persuaded to trust a stranger enough to get a drink with him. He didn't know why, but the Anti-Mage actually accepted the offer with a nod. To Kael's surprise.

They sat down together and the Invoker ordered.

"No alcohol", the Anti-Mage stated. That was sad, Kael had hoped to get the human a little tipsy so he could extract information he wasn't willing to give while sober. He thought about putting a little something into the drink nonetheless but if it didn't work and the Anti-Mage noticed it all chances of becoming friends with him would be gone.

First step in this mission: get the Anti-Mage to think he was harmless. Not the easiest feat for the mighty Invoker, but not the hardest, either. As soon as they had their drinks, the elf began to talk. Or better, to chatter. He told about his (fake) life, his (fake) house, his (fake) activities, his (fake) friends and so on. Sometimes he asked a question, but they were all completely harmless. For example he asked the human if he had any pets. Which was his favourite colour. If he liked to read books and if so, which genre.

He watched very low-key how the Anti-Mage relaxed somewhat beside him and smiled a little. This was too easy. Actually he had thought the boy would resist, would rebuke him, would make this the most difficult. Because sitting down in a bar with a stranger seemed not to be anything a hunter for mages would do.

Kael had to say that he was intrigued by the boy. He consisted of so many contradictions. Even after he knew him only for a few hours he could tell that. This could become more fun than he had anticipated.

All of a sudden, the Anti-Mage got up. "I'll go to sleep now." He hesitated for a second. "Thank you for the drinks. It was a nice evening."

He hadn't seemed to really enjoy himself but the words sounded genuine. He had spoken almost nothing, had been sitting there, staring at his drink most of the time. Maybe he had listened to Kael but maybe not. But he hadn't left, had taken a second and even a third drink (without alcohol).

The human wanted to walk away but of course the elf wouldn't let him just like that. The goal was to become his friend, after all. "How about we meet here again tomorrow? It was a nice evening for me, too, and I'd like to see you again."

"Why?" the Anti-Mage was understandably weary, frowning and tensing all up again. "What do you gain from this?"

"Why should I gain something from talking with you? I have nothing better to do and I enjoyed the time with you. Well," Kael smiled at the human, "I think I might gain enjoyment from this. That's nothing bad, isn't it?"

For a moment, he thought this wasn't enough, thought the Anti-Mage would scoff at him and leave. But the human only sighed, kind of defeated. Or tired. "Maybe", he said before turning away and disappearing into the crowd.

* * *

Kael'thas was really late the next evening. He didn't want to appear as if he had been waiting for the Anti-Mage. That would be too suspicious. It was a wonder in itself that the boy had (kind of) agreed to meet again.

He was already there, same place as the day before. Too easy, almost boring. But, as he'd said, he had nothing better to do.

It was all the same this day. The Invoker talked, the Anti-Mage didn't. The human didn't even really look at the elf and he simply nodded as greeting. It was absolutely fine, though. Kael hade made a mental list of topics he wanted to talk about today and immediately started. He put some unobtrusive questions in-between and the human actually answered a few of them. So he had to listen to some degree.

All in all it was so very easy. They met again the next day and the day after and slowly the Anti-Mage relaxed. Kael was sure he saw him smiling a few times though he still didn't look at the elf, only at his drink, or his hands or the table top in front of him.

"I have to leave for a few days." The Anti-Mage said at the end of one evening. The Invoker hadn't bothered to ask if they'd meet the next day, it had already become a habit. Always the same spot in the bar, always the same drink. The human was always first, the elf appearing never at the same time, as if he truly had work (fake) or something to do.

The human still spoke only little, so the fact he addressed Kael directly was uncommon.

"There is something I have to do. I'm not sure how long it'll take and I can't promise anything but I try to be back by next week." The boy turned to the elf then, and Kael'thas looked into his eyes for the first time. They were purple like the markings on his face and clear and _beautiful_.

This mage-killer was altogether too good-looking. If he hadn't been so aloof all the time, and he didn't kill mages for whatever reason, the Invoker would've totally hit on the boy. He would've liked to trace the markings, to search for more on his body. Would've liked to bite into the muscles on his shoulder to feel how taut they were. He would've liked to trace the human's lips with his thumb because they looked so soft and kissable. Would've liked to run his palms over the shaved head, feel the rasp of the stubble there. He would've liked to do lots of things to the Anti-Mage but considering what the human did, was probably about to do, it being the reason he'd be gone for a few days, all desire that surfaced because of his good looks was drenched immediately. Beautiful on the outside, ugly on the inside.

If he had known Kael was the Invoker, he would've tried to kill him, too. Not the best basis for having a sexual (or any other) relationship. This was about getting information, about making the human believe they were friends so he could find out why he killed mages and make him stop. So he could find out how strong he was and how careful he had to be around him. Up to this moment, Kael had found out absolutely nothing. But things like that took time and time was something he had more than enough of.

And it was so easy. Of course, the human hadn't told him anything yet, but they had been meeting each other every evening. It could only be a matter of time. The Invoker would live forever, what did he care if he needed weeks or even years to become friends (fake) with the boy?

It really took the Anti-Mage about five days before he was back from whatever he'd had to do. The Invoker had kept an eye on the bar but hadn't actually been there. He didn't go in on the first day the human was back. It would seem too much like he had come every day and had been waiting.

He did so on the second day he was back, though. He wasn't sure how long the Anti-Mage would wait and he really didn't want to lose any ground he had already gained in this becoming friends thing. If the human left it would be too suspicious if he followed him to another place.

"Hello, nice to see you again." Kael smiled and the boy actually looked up for a moment.

He nodded before he returned to examine his hands. He seemed to be more tense than before and absent-minded. The Invoker couldn't pinpoint why he knew that, it wasn't as if the human had reacted to anything before. He had always just sat there without doing or saying anything. But he was different today. He didn't look different so whoever the mage he had killed had been, it couldn't have been that rough a fight. At least not for the Anti-Mage.

The Invoker frowned, definitely not happy at the thought that this human had been out to kill one of his kind. Not that he felt excessively connected to other mages, but still.

Since he couldn't put his finger on what might be bothering the Anti-Mage, and he definitely wouldn't ask (it would be too much of a none-of-his-business thing) he ignored it and continued the same way he had done the other evenings. Kael talked and talked, about all these things that were part of this fake identity. But he also talked about real things, because not all of his fake identity was fake. For example his flying mount. Or the books he liked to read. Or the places he had travelled to (at least some of them, he wasn't supposed to be old enough to have seen so many). He never talked this much with anyone and he had expected it to be difficult. Strangely enough, it wasn't. The same way the Anti-Mage relaxed while listening to him, the Invoker relaxed while talking to the human.

Slowly, over the days and weeks, and without really realizing it, the Invoker talked more and more about the real things than about the fake ones. And the Anti-Mage reacted to it. He smiled more often and sometimes even turned his head a little to get the elf into his field of vision. It took some time for the mage to notice it.

One night, when Kael'thas recapped the evening in his mind, he made the connection. He thought about the times the human had smiled and about what he had been telling at these moments. And he found that it only ever were real things. Yes, he listened to the fake ones, answered the random questions then, too, but it seemed that something about the true stories held the human's attention more. He tried to figure out why, tried to evaluate the way he himself spoke when he talked about one or the other but he couldn't find any difference in his tone or pattern of speaking. It had to be coincidence.

* * *

They had known each other for about two months now when the Anti-Mage said he'd be gone for about a week again. He said it would likely be longer this time. And because it already was two months, Kael asked him why he left, what he'd do in this week.

The Anti-Mage's face grew grim, a deep frown appearing between his brows and his eyes turning cold and hard. "I'm going to rid the world from all evil. One after the other, until no creature is left that can wield magic and hurt others with it."

The change in his features, in his whole posture, as well as the pure hatred in his voice made the Invoker pause. Something had happened to the Anti-Mage, something bad. And it was connected to mages. Because no way could such a cute boy feel so much hatred towards one class of creatures without reason.

And this suddenly, the quest to become friends with the Anti-Mage to find out why he killed mages and make him stop changed. Kael still intended to find out what had happened. But not solely to stop the human. In fact, he intended to find out who had done something so horrible it scarred a beautiful human boy so much that he roamed the world and killed all mages, no matter what. He intended to find out who had done it and call them to justice.

Mages wielded lots of power and therefore they were responsible to wield it wisely. When they were attacked, of course they could kill. If they fought in a war, yes. But this seemed to be something different. Something more. Something that shouldn't have happened. Something that had an impact on all mages.

But it wasn't as easy as he had thought. Kael tried while the human was gone but he found nothing. Something had happened but he couldn't figure out what. He truly had to hear it from the Anti-Mage.

This time when the human returned, the elf was already sitting in the bar. He had done so for the last three days, waiting. And this time _he_ was tense. There was this puzzle and he wasn't able to solve it on his own. He was the Invoker!

"Have you been waiting? I'm sorry it took this long." The Anti-Mage sat down and smiled, just a little bit. There was a hint of joy in his eyes. At seeing the Invoker? After he had been out to kill a mage? How ironic. But the thought only made Kael sigh.

"Yes, I've been waiting. You were gone longer than I expected. Are you all right?"

"Yes. I'm all right." The human stared at the elf and frowned a little "But what about you?"

"I…" Kael halted. He didn't feel all right but he wasn't so sure why. Because he wasn't able to get information about what had happened to the Anti-Mage without having to ask him? Because there was something the mighty Invoker couldn't figure out? Because he was sitting here, trying to become friends with someone who'd just been out and killed a mage? Regardless of what it was, he couldn't tell the human. "I had a rough day." And he told about stuff he had done (all fake again). The human didn't smile once.

On the next day the Invoker felt more balanced. Because the Anti-Mage was back and he was already looking forward to talking with him all evening? He had thought about stories to tell, stories about (fake) stuff he had done while the Anti-Mage had been gone. In the end, he spoke about books and an enchanted forest he had once been to. This evening, the human smiled a lot and Kael was strangely satisfied with himself when he lay in bed.

Their routine went on for about another month. The Anti-Mage started to ask questions and a few times he even spoke about things he had experienced throughout his life. These stories were short and minor, not even hinting at what had happened to the boy. But the Invoker found himself smiling at them, smiling at the human. He began to think that the Anti-Mage wasn't that bad, that he might even like to spent time with the human.

Since they had first met, more than four months had passed. And still Kael didn't know the name of the Anti-Mage. He hadn't dared ask, because maybe it was none of his business and a name was kind of personal and he hadn't wanted to push him away. And the human hadn't offered. Kael didn't call him Anti-Mage, either, because he didn't want the human to know that he knew who he was.

But it was getting stupid. With what word or name should he address the human? And so he finally asked.

The Anti-Mage stared at his drink, not reacting for several long moments. "I'm Magina."

The world stopped.

Just like that.

One single word, one name, changed _everything_.

Kael'thas opened his mouth, wanted to ask the human to repeat it. _To ask him if he was sure that this was his name_. But then he'd know something wasn't right.

Nothing was right in that moment but the Anti-Mage couldn't know.

As best as he could he tried to play it cool. Thanked the human for telling him, smiled, and tried to recall some (fake) story he hadn't yet told.

His mind wasn't in it anymore, it felt dislocated. The Invoker left the bar, couldn't remember what excuse he had given for leaving way earlier than usual.

In his bed, he stared at the ceiling. He was sure he was in shock.

 _Magina_.

If it was a common name, he'd just ignore it. But he had never heard the name before. And he had been looking, listening. He knew he had never met any creature with this name. Had been searching for years!

His wrist almost tingled, as if the letters knew.

On the next evening, he didn't go to the bar. He needed time to think this through. Could the human boy who hated all mages be his soulmate? He was good-looking enough, Kael would be extremely glad to have someone like that by his side for the rest of his live (which was forever). But what if the human's hate for mages ran so deep he could never get over it? The Invoker wouldn't be able to hide who he was forever. And then?

But maybe it was a coincidence. The world was big enough, there could be others with the same name. A secure way would be to see the Anti-Mage's wrist. See what name was written there. The boy didn't know Kael's real name since the elf had introduced himself as 'Carl'. The human wouldn't ever think it was fake.

It was still important to become friends with the Anti-Mage but now it was important to see his wrist, too. The Invoker couldn't _ask_ him what name he had on his skin, it was too personal, it would be suspicious. No one ever asked except they suspected something.

The most difficult thing now was to act as if everything was normal. As if nothing was amiss. At the beginning it had been all easy, pretend to be some common elf with a common life. But nothing felt common today.

Kael'thas the Invoker was nervous. And unsure of himself. He tried to cover it and he thought he did a fairly good job until the Anti-Mage (great, now he knew his name and couldn't even in his head call the human by it because it was the name of his soulmate) turned towards him and pinned him with his beautiful purple gaze. "What is wrong? Yesterday you were gone and today you are all weird. Did something happen? You can tell me, you know."

The Invoker almost laughed. This sounded as if he had finally achieved what he had come for, as if the Anti-Mage implied they were friends. But instead of making him satisfied with having achieved his original goal, it made him sad.

Stories like this, they never ended well. A mage-hater was approached by a mage in disguise. So when did the mage tell the mage-hater who he was? Now? Or when they were friends? When the mage-hater found out they were soulmates? When they had connected on such a deep level the mage couldn't hide his nature anymore?

What if they were soulmates and the human left? If he left him because he was a mage? Kael was sure that the Anti-Mage wouldn't kill him, couldn't kill him if they were actually fated. But if he left, if he'd be forever without a mate, wouldn't it be even worse than dying?

If the human had been an arsehole, if he had been stupid or mentally ill or crazy, all things the Invoker had thought of as reasons for him killing mages, then it wouldn't have been so bad to be left. But he was normal, and cute, and reasonable aside from his hate for mages. And attentive. He could actually be someone the Invoker could spend every day with, all eternity.

How to proceed?

Well, first he had to find a cover for him being weird. He wouldn't tell the Anti-Mage anything today. That achieved, Kael decided to act on the assumption that the human _wasn't_ his soulmate. There was no indication that they were fated ones and so he'd assume what was best for himself.

He'd still try to become friends with the human, or, closer to the human since he thought they might actually be friends at that point. He'd still try to figure out why the boy killed mages and make him stop. He wouldn't tell him anything and would try not to stare at his wrist. They were no mates, period.

It was harder from this point on. Though he knew the human's name he never referred to him with it. If it confused the Anti-Mage, he never said so. They got closer each day but this didn't make it easier, Kael thought. He found out he actually liked the Anti-Mage, despite the fact that he was gone on a regular basis for about a week and Kael knew that he had killed a mage every time he came back.

Their conversations were actual conversations at about the fifth or sixth month they knew each other. And Kael had fun. The boy was witty and creative. It had been a long time since he'd had a friend and he enjoyed his time with the human.

Whenever the thought about them being soulmates rose, he pushed it away. Whenever he thought about what would happen when he had found out why the human killed mages, he changed his train of thought. Because, he had to stop the human. Anyhow. And when he did so, the human would find out who the Invoker was. One day, he'd find out what this had all been about and Kael'thas had never dreaded something the way he did that day.

* * *

And of course the day came. It was inevitable. Though Kael was able to hear about the human's story first.

The Anti-Mage was back from wherever he had been to kill a mage and he was restless. The Invoker asked him what was wrong and the human sighed. "The mage I killed didn't even try to defend himself. He looked so normal. It makes me uneasy when they do that, appear to be good when they clearly aren't."

"Maybe he was good?" The words slipped out of Kael's mouth before he could stop them.

"No mage is good. Never." There was the hatred again. It was strong in the boy's voice, it left no room for any discussion. And Kael dared breach the topic, ask the question he had been waiting to for more than half a year.

"Why do you hate mages?"

The story he heard then made him sad. And angry. And he knew immediately who was responsible for the boy's fate.

A monastery. The deaths. Undead. The smells and sounds. The land around.

And in contrast to the boy, the Invoker knew what had happened afterwards. He knew the story, knew the place. Had heard of it. He had just never thought someone could have survived this. Someone could have come out of this alive.

And suddenly he was gripped by a burning rage. He had ignored the doings of the Dead God before, because there had always been creatures strong enough to stand against him. Never to defeat him, but to keep him in check.

But with this story, when he heard the tragic that had happened to the Anti-Mage, it got personal. He didn't even question why this was personal for him, it just was. And for the first time in centuries, the Invoker would step in the path of a god. The Dead God.

He had to do things before, though, but he wasn't in a hurry. He would go nowhere and the Dead God wouldn't either. He'd take the next weeks, maybe years, to prepare for this encounter. He'd take his time because he intended to go out of this alive while the Dead God wouldn't. The creature would be more than dead, because that was a state he was already in. Kael would make sure he'd be gone. Extinguished. Annihilated.

While he prepared during the days, he met the Anti-Mage every evening. He understood the human, understood why he did what he did. He had never thought that would be the case.

Kael had found out what he had come to do, but he still stayed. And he did absolutely nothing to try and stop the human. In fact he was sympathetic and understanding. And the way the Anti-Mage looked at him then, with a hint of adoration and lots of gratitude for not condemning him or something, it made his heart flutter a little. It was a sensation the elf couldn't really place but he thought it had to be something good rather than bad.

Over the next weeks, Kael became even more comfortable in his interactions with the Anti-Mage. He told more and more real stories instead of fake ones and he actually smiled often. The human did so, too, while he looked at the elf more and more. He began to tell his own stories, personal things, not only random experiences, though he never mentioned the attack on the monastery and only rarely his hunt for mages. It seemed the human hadn't experienced many nice things during his life so far and it made Kael sad.

He learned that the human wasn't very old, something around mid-twenty to thirty years old. A baby, compared to him. But through the things he had had to endure he had matured very fast. The Invoker had met creatures, centuries old, that hadn't had such a clear view on the world and on life. The only thing that the human was lacking was the understanding that, though mages had attacked the monks he had lived with, not all mages were bad. But, in his defence, it had been such an awful event, for an almost child, it was bound to leave scars.

After the Anti-Mage had told about a day in his life, when he had still been without proper weapons, when he had tried to lay traps without the knowledge of how to do it, through trial and error, and how he had achieved it all on his own, Kael decided the boy had lived through enough bad stuff. It was time for some beautiful memories, happy memories.

"Come." Without thinking, he took Magina's hand, tossed some coin to the barkeeper for their drinks, and pulled the human out of the bar. He led him to a flight master, who cared for creatures that were able to fly anyone to every place that had a flight master, too.

He paid the master and mounted one of the griffons. The Anti-Mage hesitated. "Where are we going?"

"I want to show you something." Kael smiled. "Come. You will like it."

And they had become friends enough that the Anti-Mage trusted the Invoker. He didn't ask any more questions, just mounted the griffon, too, sitting behind the elf. He slung his arms loosely around the Invoker's waist, their bodies almost touching. Kael's shirt was thinner than all his robes and he was very aware of the boy at his back. He thought he could feel the heat from his skin through the cloth and wasn't sure he liked it or if it made him uncomfortable to have someone this close.

The griffon spread its wings and jumped and Magina scooted a tad closer, not _pressing_ against Kael but now definitely brushing his chest against the elf's back. And Kael decided he liked it. The boy trusted him and there was no reason not to trust him, in return.

It didn't take them long to land in another town, a flight master taking the mount and tending to it as soon as the Invoker and the Anti-Mage had their feet on the ground.

It wasn't fully dark yet and the light of the setting sun bathed their surroundings in soft colours. Everything was bright and beautiful, a stark contrast to the bar they had come from, where everything was shady and dirty.

While they walked down a small cobbled road and over a long bridge, the Anti-Mage took everything in, looking left and right. There were remains of buildings, ruins of a town long gone, then trees creating an almost forest and then they walked over grass up a small hill. On top of it stood a monument but Kael barely looked at it. On the other side of the hill, a little down, was the ocean, wide and open. On single tree stood by the water and the Invoker sat down at its roots.

The view from here was stunning, because they could watch how the sun slowly sank, touching the horizon and colouring the sky in all shades from yellow over orange, red and purple to blue.

The Anti-Mage sat down too and there was wonder in his eyes as he stared over the ocean to the sun. Kael had often been here, at this spot, when he had been a child. It was such along time ago, but he could remember how he had watched the sunset for the first time from here. Later he had planted the tree so it wouldn't be so empty here by the water.

For him, this was a magical place, though there was no actual magic. He wondered how the Anti-Mage would describe it. They sat together until it was fully dark without speaking one single word. But the silence was nice, it was relaxing.

This evening changed their relationship. Until now they had only met in the bar. Of course Kael had talked a lot, about fake stuff and even more about real events, real places. But to do something together was different.

"Thank you, that was a wonderful day." Magina smiled at Kael while they stood next to the flight master. And the elf's heart fluttered again. "I seldom have time to watch the beauties of the world, to visit nice places. Thanks for taking me."

"You are welcome." The Invoker hesitated. He had already achieved what he had come for, had found out what he had wanted to. The Anti-Mage had told him why he killed mages, they were friends. So why should the elf stay any longer? Why should he keep meeting the human? There was absolutely no reason to. But still he offered: "I can show you the most beautiful places in the world. I have been around a lot and, if you want, I can take you everywhere."

"I think I'd like that." There was a longing on the human's features that tugged on Kael's heart. He wanted to fulfil this longing, wanted to be the one to show Magina all the wonders he obviously had never seen. He knew that he should back off, that he should leave the Anti-Mage now that he had achieved his goal. But strangely, he didn't want to. He had grown to like the boy and he was reluctant to walk out on him. Maybe, he thought, they had really become friends. Not fake, but for real.

The Invoker, how ironic, was friends with the Anti-Mage.

After the human had said goodbye, Kael strolled through the landscape around the bar. He knew that this was all a farce, that he couldn't keep going like this forever. One day Magina would find out who he was and that could only end badly. Even if he was able to kill the Dead God, what then? The Anti-Mage wouldn't just like that stop killing mages. He'd keep going and the Invoker had wanted to make him stop. He had wanted to find the reason behind it and then end it all.

He wasn't sure how to achieve that. Maybe he could convince the Anti-Mage that not all mages were bad. Or he could kill the human. Maybe he could get him to only hunt the one that was responsible for his tragic past. Because whatever happened, he really didn't want to kill the boy. Probably couldn't do that. Though he tried to deny them being soulmates with everything he had, he suspected he wouldn't be able to kill Magina. But he couldn't let him go on like he was doing. He'd get more powerful over the years and no mage would be safe anymore.

Kael'thas sighed. Killing was no option. So he'd try to convince the human. He'd tell him about some good deeds done by mages and magic and try to get him to change his views. Slowly. It would take a lot of patience to erase such a deep rooted hatred.

* * *

The first time Kael mentioned magic, he could see how Magina completely shut off. The elf immediately changed the topic and tried not to be too disappointed. Of course it would take time.

Together they visited places all over the world, forests, lakes, the sea, deserts, snowy planes, grassy steppes and so on. First were all the places that were beautiful without magic. And places where the Invoker wouldn't be recognized. The world was huge and there was much to see. And to watch Magina's face while he gazed at wonder after wonder, it made Kael smile. He was so pleased with himself whenever the human was happy, it was almost disgusting. His heart did the strange fluttering more often by now and Kael knew that it was connected to Magina's reactions to things. To his joy and happiness.

Today they were walking through some ancient ruins in the middle of a desert. The sand was almost white, too bright in the sunlight but fine at this time of day. It seemed to glow orange and red in the last rays of light before the sun vanished behind the horizon. Suddenly it was dark, within seconds millions of stars appeared over them and the sand reflected their light, sparkling underneath their feet. They walked for about an hour, the Anti-Mage taking his time to look at every wall, at every stone before they left the ruins to stroll through the desert. It was quite, almost no sounds aside from their footsteps.

Kael had stopped talking some time ago to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. Of course he had been to all these places before but it felt different with Magina by his side. It was nice to show him beautiful things in the world. And the way the human smiled at him, it made his breath catch.

The stars seemed to sparkle in his eyes, too, while the darkness made his features softer. He looked beautiful and carefree and that was something he only seldom did. The Anti-Mage had thoughts full of revenge and horrible memories and to get him out of that wasn't easy.

Without realizing it, Kael stepped closer to the human. He raised one hand and cupped Magina's cheek in his palm. His skin was warm and soft. His eyes were full of happiness and _trust_. The moment was perfect and Kael'thas couldn't help himself. He leaned closer and when Magina didn't back away, though it was more than clear by now what was happening, his heart sang with joy. Their lips met and Kael closed his eyes, he thought he might explode from the happiness surging through is body.

Kissing someone had never felt like that before. Or maybe it had just been too long ago and he couldn't precisely remember it. Magina's lips were so soft and he responded immediately. Kissing back, pressing closer, putting his arms around Kael's neck to pull himself _closer still_. There was no space between their bodies and when the elf opened his mouth, brushed his tongue against the human's lower lip, Magina sighed. Their tongues touched.

And Kael was _sure_ that kissing had never been like that. This was no lack in memory. This was the best kiss he had ever had. Then the human buried one hand in Kael's hair while the other brushed over the tip of his ear. The elf couldn't supress a moan. Hair, ear, soft lips, tongue, and his body was way too aware of Magina pressing close. His shirt and his pants were too thin, they provided no barrier, not like his usual robes.

His thoughts were hazy, his mind shut off, his body responded with a fierceness he had never experienced before. He had to stop, this was too much.

Kael'thas staggered back, released the human boy abruptly, and stared at him. His cheeks were flushed and he swayed forward a little before he caught himself. The elf wanted to continue kissing him, but he was overwhelmed by the strength of these feelings. He was seldom at a loss for words but right now he didn't know what to say.

"Wow," Magina cleared his throat. "That was unexpected… good… Unexpected good… Good and unexpected…" He shook his head, clearly as flustered as the Invoker. The elf kept staring, his thoughts sluggish and still too centred on Magina's lips, and tongue and the way his body had felt pressed so close. And his hands! His ear tingled from the touch, the tip being too sensitive.

Suddenly Magina laughed. "Okay, you look like this hit you quite hard." Kael blinked, sure he had never heard the human laugh before. It did strange things to his heart, the flutter increasing. Then the boy turned around, as if nothing was amiss, and continued to walk through the desert.

The elf frowned. This had hit him quite hard, how the kiss had felt. How intense it had been. But, it wasn't really something bad. He sighed, then smiled and followed the human.

On their way back he was more aware than ever of the boy. He tried to cover it up by talking but from the looks Magina gave him, his brows raised and a tiny smile on his lips, he didn't completely succeed to pull it off.

They said good-by without another kiss, the Anti-Mage simply smiled and simply blinked away, not leaving Kael the chance to do something. He was a little relieved because he hadn't been sure if he should kiss the human again or not.

The blink was like a mini teleportation. It was the first time Magina revealed that he could do this, though the Invoker had known about the ability of the human. It was a way for the boy to get out of danger, probably, because it got him to a place a few feet away within a split second.

Kael's thoughts knew nothing except the kiss with Magina the rest of the day. He couldn't stop thinking about it and even dreamed about it. He was still somewhat flustered the next morning. Great. How could one kiss with some puny human get him off-balance like that?

The soulmate-topic came to his mind again but he really, _really_ didn't want to think about that. Because it had gotten in no way easier. Nothing about this situation had gotten easier.

The forest, which the Invoker took the Anti-Mage to in the evening, was magical (laced with actual magic) and it was breath-taking. They walked through it, Magina smiling at the tiny creatures living here and at the colours all around them. It was wonderful, magical dust making the air glitter. It smelled like flowers and spring in here, no matter what season it was.

They stopped on a very small clearing. The human stepped closer to the elf. "This is beautiful. Thank you for showing me." He slung his arms around Kael's neck and kissed him. It was only their second kiss but the way Magina initiated it spoke of how comfortable he was with it. How comfortable he was with being with Kael.

"Don't you have a mate?" The Anti-Mage had stopped kissing him to ask the question.

Kael hesitated for a split second. Then he lied. "Not yet." He didn't want to broach the subject, didn't want to face reality while he was kissing Magina. But he was curious, still hadn't seen the human's wrist, didn't _know_ if they were mates. And since the boy had asked first it was in no way suspicious to voice his own question. "How about you?"

A shadow passed over Magina's eyes. "I won't have a mate. Ever."

The statement made the elf frown. First, because of the phrasing. How could he know he'd never have a mate? Had there been someone and he had lost them? And second, because that meant someone else was Kael's mate. With the same name? He wanted to ask more but was silenced by Magina, who continued to kiss him, then shoved his hands underneath Kael's shirt. He forgot all about the mate business as soon the human's hands touched his skin.

It felt amazing. Everything felt amazing. Magina's hands stroking over his skin, his body pressed close, his lips moving over the elf's. There was no hesitation, nothing awkward, as if they fit each other, as if they had been together for much longer. Not just one kiss and a few months of talking in a shady bar.

They lay down, the grass as soft as any bed underneath them. There was the urge to get closer, to touch and to taste. Kael wanted to savour this. So he took his time, slowly undressing Magina and learning his body. The human sighed and smiled. He was gorgeous.

Night settled around them but in this forest it never got dark. The magic created faint lights that danced through the air and bathed everything in a soft glow. It made their whole encounter somewhat magical but the Anti-Mage didn't seem to care about it. He was so focused on the Invoker, eyes and hands and mouth, that he probably didn't even notice their surroundings. Kael smiled as well, before desire overwhelmed him. They moved against each other and it was perfection.

It was late before they both fell into an exhausted sleep, side by side, cuddled close, their legs intertwined and both pulling the other close.

* * *

Kael was woken by Magina. "What is your name?" It was the tone of his voice that alerted the mage. Something was wrong. Before he opened his eyes, his mind took everything around him in. His surroundings were fine but the human by his side was uncommonly tense. His voice, too. And then he realized that the Anti-Mage had a tight grip on his wrist. The one with the name of one's soulmate.

 _Oh no._ That was it. That was what the Invoker had feared.

"What is your name?" The Anti-Mage emphasized every single word. He knew the Invoker was awake. He wouldn't have much time to think about a response.

Clearly the human had read the name on his wrist. _His_ name. He'd said he'd never have a mate. But maybe, the phrasing of the sentence, something was wrong with it.

What should Kael say? Should he keep lying? What would he say about the name on his wrist? Why he hadn't told Magina? Why he hadn't asked him if he was his mate? Because that should've been the first reaction to hearing the name one had on their wrist. Compare wrists. If one didn't do that, there should be a very good reason behind it.

He opened his eyes, wanted to say something that would definitely be a lie, but stopped. The Anti-Mage _knew_. He knew who he was. It was there, in his eyes. And as soon as their gazes locked, it was like a confirmation.

With a pained sound and a look of utter despair on his features, the Anti-Mage leaped to his feet, pushing the Invoker away, and stumbled to a nearby tree. He leaned against it, his body shaking and his breathing harsh.

Kael'thas was confused. He couldn't quite catch up with what was happening. The human knew something, or suspected something. This went even worse than any scenario he had ever pictured about the Anti-Mage seeing the name on his wrist.

He got up and walked to the boy. "Are you all right?"

"Don't touch me." The words were pressed through clenched teeth. He hadn't intended to touch the Anti-Mage but frowned at the vehemence of the human.

He wanted to say more, to ask what he knew, why he reacted so strongly, but was afraid of the answers he'd get. He waited, sadness slowly rising. It felt like the good time they'd had was over.

After a few minutes the Anti-Mage turned his head. His eves sprayed hatred and disgust. "You are the Invoker. Your name is Kael'thas, isn't it? Not Carl. You lied." He straightened, facing the Invoker fully. He held his wrist out, the name Kael'thas marking his tanned skin in dark letters.

He had known it, he had found out that Kael'thas was the Invoker. A mage. That was why he had said he'd never have a mate. He had known that his soulmate was a mage and he had decided he'd rather have none.

They were mates. Soulmates. Kael stared at the letters. Emotions stormed through is body. Mate. He looked up. Saw the hatred in the beautiful purple eyes in front of him.

Kael swallowed. He wanted to say something, wanted to explain, but couldn't bring a word out. His throat burned.

"Wonderful." The Anti-Mage continued. "I hope you had a good laugh with your mage friends. Seducing the Anti-Mage, was it some kind of game? See if you'd be able to get the Anti-Mage to be fucked by a mage? So you could tell it everyone? Easy, isn't it, because mates always are pulled towards each other. You did a good performance, I never suspected you were a mage. And I'm usually extremely good at spotting them." He pressed a palm against his forehead, making this pained sound again. "How stupid of me. To think…"

Abruptly the boy turned away and blinked forward to the pile of clothes. As he got dressed his movements were full of anger.

This was happening too fast. "Magina, stop." He didn't listen to Kael. "Magina, please! Please let me explain. It isn't the way you think." He stepped forward and grabbed the human's arm. Magina twisted and - where had he gotten his blade so fast? – hacked at Kael's arm.

"I don't want to hear anything from you. You can be glad I won't kill you and you should leave while you can."

The Invoker supressed an 'as if you could kill me'. "Please, believe me, I didn't want to…"

"I don't want to hear anything!" Magina roared at Kael. Then he grabbed his remaining clothes, his second blade, and blinked away.

"I'm sorry!" Kael called after him, not sure how far the human could blink, if he'd still hear him. And then, for the first time in centuries, for the first time he could remember, the mighty Invoker broke. He crumbled to the ground, tears springing to his eyes and sob after sob wracking his body. Gone gone gone… His mate was gone. He had left him. And he had been so angry. He hated him. Hated who and what he was. Had decided, some time ago that he'd rather stay without a soulmate for the rest of his life than be mated to a mage. To him.

Even the Invoker had been looking forward to having a mate. Had searched for his. And he, even though he had denied that the Anti-Mage was his mate all the time, had enjoyed the time the two had spent together. He had wanted to show Magina many more placed, had wanted to learn so much more about his live. About him. Had wanted to slowly teach him how not all mages were bad. Had wanted to help him take revenge on the Dead God for his horrible deeds. He had wanted to relax side by side with the human, to see the world anew with his mate in it. Because every single place they had visited had been better, more beautiful, with Magina in it.

For the first time in his live the Invoker wished he were someone else. He wished that he were no mage, just some normal creature.

When no tears were left, the anger came. Kael'thas Sunstrider was a force of nature when anger took hold of him. He screamed and called every destructive power he could wield. He burned the landscape, let rocks crash from heaven, coated everything in ice only to let it be melt away by lava. He created a tornado that ripped through whatever had survived the fire and ice. When he was finished, his energy drained, there was nothing left of the magical forest. Only a burnt, black plain remained, littered with rocks, the earth cracked open from the heat.

Kael closed his eyes and teleported home. He dragged himself to his bed and crumbled onto the sheets, dirty and filthy but he didn't care. He fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

Kael wallowed in self-pity for a few days. But really, he was the Invoker. He couldn't change who he was so he'd have to make use of it instead. The Anti-Mage now knew who he was so he didn't have to hide anymore. And he decided he'd use everything he had on disposal.

He wouldn't let his soulmate slip away like that. He'd had planned to convince the human that not all mages were bad, that not all magic was bad. That _he_ wasn't bad. He could still do that. Now he could show him. He could show him all the good things he could do (and hope the boy would never see the remains of the magical forest).

But, wait. He could just fix the forest, first. He slipped into his pants and shirt. Stopped, thought about donning his robes, now that he didn't have to hide who he was. Left with pants and shirt anyway. The only thing he did was to keep the three orbs flying around his head again. Casting with them was easier anyway and within half a day the magical forest was exactly as it had been before.

Kael stood in the small clearing and sighed. He didn't want to fall back into the pit of self-pity and so he left.

The first place he'd look for the Anti-Mage would be the bar they had met.

He stared in astonishment. The human was there! He was sitting at the same spot as always, as if nothing had happened. It was surreal. Until he saw how tense the Anti-Mage was, how he gripped one of his blades, which he had never done before.

"What do you want? I thought I made myself clear. Go away." Magina didn't look at Kael but of course he was aware enough of his surroundings to know the elf was standing behind him.

"I want to apologize. And tell you the truth about everything." The number of times he had already apologized was higher than the number of apologies he had made throughout his whole life. But if it helped, he'd keep apologizing for the rest of his life (which would be rather long).

"I don't want to hear your truth."

"But…"

Magina interrupted Kael. "Can't you imagine how humiliating this is for me?" He looked up at the elf, who couldn't completely decipher the emotions on the human's face. "To find out that the one creature I so much enjoyed spending time with was deceiving me? Was a mage and knew how I thought about them? That he must've known who I am from the beginning and approached me nonetheless? Or maybe even because of it? And to find out you are my mate. I don't want to ever see you again. It makes me _sick_." With a sneer he turned his attention towards the drink in front of him.

"I'm sorry. I…" What could he say to get Magina to listen to him? He took a deep breath. And let go. "I was afraid you'd leave me as soon as you'd find out who I am. That's why I didn't tell you. I wanted to spent more time with you and I knew when you'd find out about me being a mage you'd hate me. I didn't want that. I don't want you to hate me. I…" he swallowed. "I want you to love me."

Kael wanted to say that he loved Magina already, but then he wasn't brave enough for that.

"I can't love a mage. You should be glad I'm not able to kill you but that's all I can give. And I already despise myself for it."

"Please, can't you give me a chance? I can show you that magic can be good, too. I can show you that I can be good."

"I don't want to be shown something like that. My hatred for mages, my revenge, it keeps me alive, it keeps me strong and it keeps me going. I don't want to lose that. I don't _want_ to give you a chance." Without another word, the Anti-Mage blinked away.

He couldn't have gone far but to find him now Kael had to leave the bar and then round the building and until then the Anti-Mage would be gone. So he didn't try. He sat down and took Magina's drink. He could as well finish it now that the human had left.

The following days were a cat and mouse game. Kael didn't want to give up and Magina didn't want to give in. Talking to the Anti-mage didn't work, he always blinked away and left, sometimes even before the Invoker could get near him.

Then the elf changed his tactics. He didn't approach the human but simply found out where he was and where he'd be staying the following days. Then he sent him gifts. Magical stuff, like butterflies made of colourful light, corny stuff, but also not magical things like sweets or rare fruit or a hot bath brought to his room for him, normal things. Sometimes he was near enough to watch him, though never near enough to actually see his face.

The first time it had been something magical, he could've sworn the Anti-Mage had prepared to battle the flowers growing around his feet whenever he made a step. But slowly, over the _months_ , the boy got used to the harmless magic. And the Invoker grinned. When he created a bird that nonstop sang some stupid song while sitting on Magina's shoulder and the Anti-Mage didn't react to it at all, no tensing, no swatting at it (which would've been futile since it only consisted of magic), nothing, he decided to approach him again.

It had been almost a year now, he hadn't really counted but it had been long enough. Kael knew that Magina hadn't killed a single mage during that time and he wondered why. The elf had used the time to learn as much about the Dead God as he could and he was almost sure he could defeat him. He wasn't so sure anymore if he should, though. Wasn't it Magina's revenge to take? He wasn't a fan of taking revenge, he was mostly too indifferent to care long enough about things or he killed whoever had offended him right away. But he could understand why the Anti-Mage felt the need to do it. He had been too young, then, too weak. But now he was neither one nor the other.

On the day he had decided to talk to Magina again, he found the information he had been looking for. It was a simple note, hidden in one of the books about the deity Nectasha, so it was related to the Dead God but not the first source to look through.

It was the information about how to kill the God. And to keep him dead, which was important since he was the _Dead_ God. Kael stared at the note, then he went to see Magina.

"I have something for you." He held the note out for the human. Kael still wore only pants and shirt though he had changed the colours of both to suit his status as arch-mage.

Magina sighed. "What now? Love letters?" But he took the note and scanned it. "You…" He looked up, really looked at Kael for the first time since he knew he was a mage. "Why are you giving me this?"

"I know who attacked the monastery. I'm one-hundred percent sure. And I give you the means to destroy him."

"You are helping me to kill mages?"

"No. I'm helping you to kill a god. Because I don't like what he did." No lies, and no half-truths. No keeping something back. "And because I hope it'll end your revenge-tour. That it'll make you realize the difference between him and his allies and between good mages. I won't give up, you know? I know the way I acted, the way I lied to you was wrong, but I'll keep apologizing. And I promise to never lie to you again. I'm persistent."

The Anti-Mage snorted. "I already realized that." He turned away. "I don't know if I can overcome my hatred for mages just like that. When I think about how much I enjoyed the time with you I feel sick." He waved the note. "Thank you for that. I'll totally use it." His features hardened. Sometimes he looked like the boy he was but sometimes, as now, the Invoker saw the Anti-Mage, the warrior mages throughout the world feared.

A god though was a whole different business. "Do you want me to accompany you? To help you?"

"No." He tucked the note away.

"If you need help, call me. Don't hesitate. Please."

Without an answer the Anti-Mage blinked away.

Great. Suddenly Kael realized that he now was afraid to lose his soulmate to _death_. Because the human was about to battle a god. All on his own. Maybe he should follow him. Just in case. But that probably wouldn't win him any points. Nonetheless, he did. He stayed at a safe distance, but near enough to be able to help. He wasn't sure if he could defeat the Dead God but he was absolutely sure he could get Magina and himself away from the being should they be in danger of being killed. And he was almost sure that they'd be strong enough together. The Anti-Mage and the Invoker, that should be enough to annihilate the Dead God. He wouldn't interfere though, as long as Magina wasn't in immediate danger of being killed.

The Anti-Mage turned around with a frown and when he saw the Invoker he rolled his eyes. His sigh was almost loud enough to be heard this far away. But the human didn't chase him away, didn't insult him or anything. Kael'thas smiled. And stayed where he was. He'd not intervene except it was the very last option. If the Anti-Mage needed to be rescued from a fight without wanting to, he'd be furious. If the rescuer was a mage, it would be worse. Since Kael wanted to have a shot sometime with his mate, he had to accept Magina's wishes, had to trust in him to know what he did. But he was worried. And rightly so.

The Dead God was fearsome and strong. And unlike any foe the Anti-Mage had ever fought. The Invoker had killed a few undead throughout his life, but the Dead God was the god of the undead.

To watch how the mighty being hit Magina, again and again, to watch how the boy wasn't able to land a sloid hit himself, was the worst experience of Kael's whole life. Except maybe for the morning when Magina had found out they were mates and had told him how much he hated him. But then the situation hadn't been completely hopeless. If the human died now, it would be over. The Invoker would lose the one creature he loved forever.

It was a stunning display, the Dead God fighting against the Anti-Mage. The boy was good. He was better than good, he was fast and strong and skilled. Against any normal opponent, he would've long won and Kael thought that in a fight against him he would've needed to use all his powers to come out the winner. No wonder he had no scars from fighting mages. He simply was that good.

Magina was hit full force and thrown through the air. A second before he would've hit the ground he blinked and landed on his feet. He was already breathing heavily. He wasn't hurt overly much but he just couldn't get near enough to the god to do damage. Until now he was merely evading attacks.

Clearly frustrated, the Anti-Mage stared at the Dead God. He had to be aware that he couldn't win like that. He needed a new strategy. When he turned his head, his eyes locking on Kael, the mage was confused. When the human blinked towards him, stopping only a few feet in front of him, he was too astonished to speak. And when the boy asked him for help, he was stunned.

He didn't say 'please', but that would be too much to expect, he supposed. "Carl, help me." Magina repeated the words when the Invoker didn't react. Warmth spread through is body, and hope and, heaven help him, he was swamped by a wave of affection. He was so proud that the Anti-Mage asked him for help, that his mate wanted him by his side in this fight.

He closed his eyes for a second, couldn't stop the grin that came from deep inside of him. He looked at Magina, this beautiful boy, seeking to kill a god, gorgeous and wonderful. He couldn't help it, he knew that he loved this human beyond reason.

Kael'thas nodded, then he stepped forward. He held Magina with a hand in his nape and kissed him. A hard kiss, only lasting a second but it felt too good to be true. To finally feel him again, after all these months.

Taking a deep breath, the Invoker pressed their foreheads together. "I'll do anything you want."

In his grip, Magina relaxed. He hesitated, as if he wanted to say something, but then he just nodded.

Side by side, they faced the Dead God. And together it was astonishingly easy to defeat him. Not because the Invoker was so mighty but because they worked well together. Kael'thas never needed to be afraid to use his magic because the Anti-Mage was almost completely immune to it. And the Anti-Mage finally could get near enough to the Dead God with the Invoker working spell after spell to distract the being.

It was the Anti-Mage who defeated the god, who killed him. The Invoker was impressed.

Next to the body of the Dead God, they stared at each other. Magina's grip on his weapons was too tight and he seemed nervous. Unsure. Kael was unsure, too. What should he expect now? Would the human go back to avoiding him, to hating him?

An audible exhale, a mumbled 'thank you'. The Invoker inclined his head. "You are very welcome." He looked at the god, then back at the human. It still baffled him how easy it had been together to defeat such a mighty being. "You are stronger than I expected."

"Still not strong enough." Magina snarled and kicked at the body.

"Are you really angry about that? This is a God!" He pointed at the being. "Was", he corrected himself. "Even I wouldn't have tried to fight him on my own. And I'm the Invoker."

That statement got him a blank look. Kael cursed himself. How stupid to remind the Anti-Mage of the fact that he was the strongest _mage_ in the world. "Sorry," he muttered, not sure why he apologized but it seemed to have gotten a habit. Him apologizing to Magina. "I…" he didn't know what he wanted to say, he only knew that he didn't want to get back to the way they had been before this fight. At least at the moment the Anti-Mage wasn't running from him and he wasn't insulting him or telling him how he hated mages.

"Let's get out of here." The human strapped one of his blades onto his back and pulled something out of a pocket. A Hearth-Stone. It could teleport the user to a place they called home. Magina looked up from the stone, at the Invoker. Of course Kael had such a stone as well, that would bring him to his home. But since he didn't want to get home but wanted to stay with Magina, it wasn't very useful right now.

With a sigh the boy strapped his other blade on his back as well. Then he held his arm out towards the elf. He had his hand balled to a fist, probably a way to tell Kael not to hold hands with him or something like that. But it was an invitation. Because when the Invoker would touch the Anti-Mage while he used the Hearth-Stone, they'd teleport together to the same location.

Magina didn't say anything, he didn't even look at Kael when the mage grabbed his forearm. They appeared in the inn they had first met within a few seconds. The human pulled his arm away and walked towards a table. He sat down, then he looked up with a frown. "Carl?" The mage hadn't moved, hadn't been sure if this meant he was actually welcome to sit with the human.

Kael'thas heart did a happy flip-flop as he joined Magina. "You want to keep calling me 'Carl'?"

"Do you mind?"

As if. He could call him anything he wanted to. "Of course not."

The human nodded. "The name Kael'thas holds too many bad memories. It's… It's not as if I could forget what you are when I call you not by that name but you are not like him. Like the Kael'thas in all these stories. You are different. Still a mage but you have been able to show me that magic can also be good. You have been persistent enough for that over the last months."

These stories. Kael grimaced. He knew what stories about him circled the world and he was afraid most of them were actually true. "I changed. I promise you, I'm not like that anymore. Haven't been for a long time now. When I was younger, I was rash and too egoistical. I…" He was interrupted.

"I know." Magina held his gaze. "I _know_ that. Otherwise I wouldn't be sitting here now with you. And that's exactly why I don't want to call you Kael'thas. You've changed and for me you are Carl. I think I can deal with that."

"I'm still a mage and I can't change that."

"How humble suddenly." The Anti-Mage snorted and then he smiled. "You are the strongest of all mages." He reached out, took Kael's hand and pulled it toward him. He pushed the sleeve of his robe up until he had revealed the mark. The name of the mage's soulmate. The Anti-Mage's name.

The Invoker held completely still. After all this months, to have Magina sitting across from him without hatred in his eyes, with the human touching him, smiling at him. It was almost like a dream come true. He was afraid to move and break this, to wake up and realize it hadn't been real. Was there really a chance? Had his persistence been enough?

When the boy stroked his thumb over the mark, it sent a shudder through Kael's whole body. It was spiked with a hint of arousal that he forcefully tried to quench. Not now.

"You know, I was so angry at you because I thought you had deceived me. Had made a joke out of me." His eyes were fixed on the soulmate mark and his thumb, stroking over it again and again, sending shudder after shudder through Kael. "But you didn't go away, no matter how hard I pushed you away. And you helped me to defeat another creature with magical abilities. You respected my wish to stay out of the fight, even though you didn't respect my wish to go there alone." He frowned. "I suppose that is acceptable." There was a long pause before Magina took a deep breath, stopped his movement and looked Kael in the eyes. "Defeating the one responsible for the death of all my brethren was freeing. Thank you for helping me with that." Another deep breath. "I'm not sure I can be happy with a mage as my soulmate but I'm willing to try."

The words hit like a bomb. Kael'thas stared at the human boy in front of him. Had he heard right? Had the Anti-Mage just said he'd try to be with him? A wave of joy crashed into him with such a force the mage didn't know what to do with hit. Then he leaned over the table, grabbed Magina and kissed him. He kissed him and kissed and wouldn't have stopped for the next _hours_ if the human hadn't pushed him away. He was laughing, though a little breathless. "Okay, it's okay. I said I'm willing to _try_ , you heard that, right?"

"That's enough. More than enough. Being soulmates isn't a guarantee for happiness together, it's never, but it is a good chance at it." He took Magina's wrist and exposed the soulmate mark there. He was as perplexed as the first time he had seen it. His name on someone's skin. On Magina's skin. He looked deep into the human's eyes. "I want you to be happy. I want _us_ to be happy. Together. I'll give it everything I have. I already love you and I hope one day you'll love me, too."

Magina's smile was sweet. "It might not be as impossible as I always thought." Then he kissed Kael.

The Invoker and the Anti-Mage, who would've ever thought that possible, Kael'thas wondered. But it was and it felt so very right. There was love and there was hope. It would all be fine.


End file.
